One of the first places the average adult body stores spare fat is around the belly, and this can be a real nightmare for anyone trying to trim down their midsection.

You might think that you’re doing everything right when it comes to your diet and exercise regimen, and yet, for some reason you just can seem to shed the unsightly padding around your abdominals.

If this is the case, you could find that doing everything right is actually all wrong. Your lifestyle might be sabotaging everything.

Here are just a few tips and tricks that could help you to finally melt away the belly fat that’s been plaguing you for years. Sure, they say diet is responsible for 75% of your progress, but if you are doing everything else wrong, your lifestyle could derail 90% of your progress.

Here are 5 more tips to help you lose belly fat:

Add some cardio.

If the main focus of your exercise regimen is weight lifting, either for toning or bulking, then you might start to notice bothersome belly fat forming over time. This is especially prevalent for those who have adopted the high-calorie diet that bulking demands.

While it can certainly be difficult to continue building muscle while cutting at the same time, adding some cardio to your routine could help you to meet the myriad goals of your fitness regimen. And if you’re worried about wasting your precious workout time on cardio, consider that you can find plenty of cardio and weight training combo exercises to ensure that you’re getting the most out of every minute, continuing to build muscle while also shedding fat (not to mention strengthening your heart).

HIIT, HIRT, and Tabata training are 3 of the best ways to combine cardio with high intensity movements to build muscle and simultaneously lose fat.

Crunchless abs.

Crunches are OK for creating six-pack abs, but with belly fat draping your midsection your killer abs will be woefully hidden. Luckily, the practice of yoga offers a great solution through isometric poses that will simultaneously strengthen your core, work multiple muscle groups, and get your heart pumping.

The plank pose is best described as the top of a pushup position (although you may also rest on your forearms). By simply holding this pose for 30-second intervals (for as many reps as you can…ahem…stomach) you’ll find that you’re not only strengthening your abdominal muscles, but also burning away belly fat at the same time. In addition, you’ll work other muscle groups, as well, making this single move a total-body toner sans crunches.

If you have little interest in yoga, you may want to consider core training exercises like full situps, Russian twist, windshield wipers, and ab wheel rollouts. Check out a previous article posted about the Top 10 Best Abs Exercises.

Get your beauty rest.

Levels of hunger and satiety are controlled by two different hormones, ghrelin and leptin, respectively, and failing to get adequate sleep at night can throw them out of whack. A sleep deficit leads to an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin that causes you to feel hungry more often while taking longer to feel full.

You are more likely to make poor food choices in such a state, not to mention forego exercise. So you can see why getting your zees is important if you want to burn off the belly fat.

Can’t sleep? Try relaxation techniques like yoga and tai chi, take 3-5mg of melatonin 20 minutes before you lay down, or use that new medicine-free NyQuil called Z-Quil to knock your butt out cold.

Watch what you eat.

You might have a set daily caloric intake to contend with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat the foods that are most likely to deliver on the slim and trim belly you desire.

For example, you can get both calories and protein from red meat, but salmon will also provide you with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids that increase levels of leptin, making you feel satisfied longer and helping to burn body fat. If you’re not sure how to fine-tune your diet, simply search Project Swole for nutrition tips or meet with a professional nutritionist.

Get your R&R.

One of the worst culprits when it comes to putting on stubborn belly fat is stress, and modern man has quite a bit to contend with.

If dieting and hitting the gym equipment don’t seem to be helping, consider finding ways to cut your stress levels, such as yoga, meditation, or even saying no to obligations that will overextend you. It could just make the difference between losing those love handles or living with a spare tire.

We’ve seen a couple common themes in this article. Specifically yoga, rest, and relaxation. Most articles and trainers focus on diet and exercise, and while those are of prime importance, we can clearly see another constituent of a weight loss lifestyle that can help you get over the fat loss hump.

Are you a man who has some questions about yoga? Check out the article Yoga For Men.